| ![Show Contents]() Besen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of BesenWhat does the name Besen mean? The name Besen finds its origins with the ancient Anglo-Saxons of England. It was given to one who worked as a coiner or minter. The name is derived from a coin called the byzantius, whose name is derived from the city of Byzantium, where they were minted. The word is derived from the "Middle English besant, besand, the Old French besan, pluralized as besanz, which in turn was derived from the Latin byzantius (nummus), meaning a gold coin." 1 "A bisaunt, bezant, or bizantine was an old coin both in gold and silver, and so called from having been minted at Byzantium. The silver bezant passed current for as. or thereabouts." 2 Early Origins of the Besen familyThe surname Besen was first found in London, England where Leftwin Besant was recorded 1147-1168. He was listed as a "moneyer" in the Pipe Rolls of 1168. Later, Robert Besant was listed in Clerkenwell, London in 1186-1192 and the Pipe Rolls of 1195. 1 Early History of the Besen familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Besen research. Another 116 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1168, 1194, 1748, 1752, 1776, 1800, 1828, 1836, 1870, 1879, 1901 and 1917 are included under the topic Early Besen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Besen Spelling VariationsThe English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore, spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Besen has been recorded under many different variations, including Besant, Besaynt, Bezant, Bessant, Besand, Beasant, Bessent, Beazant, Bayzand, Beszant, Bassant, Bassent and many more. Early Notables of the Besen familyRobert Besant, Sheriff of London in 1194. 2 Sir Walter Besant (1836-1901), was a distinguished English novelist and historian. He was the son of wine merchant William Besant (1800-1879) and was born at Portsmouth, Hampshire. William Henry Besant (1828-1917) was his...
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Besen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Besen migration to the United States | + |
For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Besen or a variant listed above:
Besen Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Johann Henrich Besen, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1753
| Contemporary Notables of the name Besen (post 1700) | + |
- Norman Besen (b. 1925), American accountant
- Gerald Harvey Besen (b. 1920), American endodontist
- Marcus Besen AC (1923-2023), Romanian-born Australian businessman, philanthropist, and Holocaust survivor
- Sunny Besen Thrasher (b. 1976), Canadian child actor, known for his role as Paul Edison in Nelvana's live-action series, The Edison Twins
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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